it is down to the wire now with about 80 hours until the fiscal cliff deadline. and on what is a holiday weekend for many, that is not the case for congressional leaders in washington. there was a sense of urgency today as the president met with house and senate leaders along with the treasury secretary and vice president a short while ago at the white house to try and forge a last-minute deal. the president says he is optimistic, but at this hour, the fiscal cliff still looms. we begin our coverage with nbc's white house correspondent, peter alexander who has been watching the developments all day. peter, good evening to you. >> reporter: natalie, good evening to you. after his first meeting with all of the top four congressional lawmakers since before thanksgiving, the president marched into the briefing room here at the white house and he said the time for immediate action is now. he called for a bipartisan agreement and said to congressional leaders, warning them the public's patience has worn out. after an hour-long closed-door meeting with the president, bo